Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said every student’s life was precious and their safety must be ensured under all circumstances after a five-storey building housing a boys’ PG collapsed in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan area, leaving two person dead and several others feared trapped.
Gandhi urged the NDRF, Delhi Fire Service and other rescue agencies to make every effort to reach those trapped under the debris and ensure the injured receive immediate medical treatment.
“The news of the building collapse in Satya Niketan, Delhi, is extremely heartbreaking and alarming. Reports indicate that several people are trapped under the debris, including many students from Delhi University,” Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi.
He said Congress and NSUI workers were at the spot to assist in the rescue efforts and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
Gandhi also flagged the lack of adequate hostel facilities at colleges and universities, saying students were often forced to live in PG accommodations in crowded and unsafe conditions.
“Every student's life is precious, and their protection must be ensured under all circumstances,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi criticised the Delhi government over the incident, saying the collapse raised questions about the safety of student accommodation in the capital.
Congress treasurer Ajay Maken demanded that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi disclose details of safety inspections carried out at buildings operating as PG accommodations around Delhi University’s North and South campuses.
“A child who has left home to come study has the right to know whether the building in which he is sleeping will still be standing by morning or not,” Maken said in a post on X.
Delhi Congress chief Devendra Yadav also questioned the government’s responsibility for the safety of students living in the capital, while NSUI chief Vinod Jakhar alleged that the administration reached the spot nearly two hours after the collapse.
He demanded accountability for what he called negligence by the Delhi administration.
According to police, a PCR call about the collapse near Nanakpura Gurdwara was received at the South Campus police station at 1.34 pm. Local police, fire personnel, CAT Ambulance and other emergency services were deployed at the site, while an NDRF team also joined the rescue operation.
Police said the building’s owner had been identified and teams were formed to trace him. The collapsed building was known as ‘Hostel Daze’.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over the safety of buildings being used as student accommodation in areas around Delhi University’s campuses.
(With inputs from PTI)